Method of producing an ordered stack of bound product information sheets for a store from planogram or ordered data

ABSTRACT

An ordered stack of bound sheets may comprise a set of printed product information sheets. An individual bound sheet may comprise a single printed product information sheet or may comprise a plurality of printed product information sheets. Each of the individual printed product information sheets may be detached from the ordered stack of bound sheets in the order in which the printed product information sheets are presented. The individual printed product information sheets (which are detached from the ordered stack in order) may be connected to structures in the stores based on a planogram for a set of products for display in the store. The order of the printed product information sheets may match an order in which the sheets are positioned based on the planogram.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/159,921, filed Jan. 21, 2014, now U.S Pat. No. 8,836,990, the entirecontents of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an ordered stack of bound sheets comprising aset of printed product information sheets for a store, where the printedproduct information sheets are removably attached to each other andordered according to planogram data or ordered data for the store, andto a method of producing the ordered stack of bound sheets comprisingthe set of printed product information sheets for the store.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Generally speaking, stores use product strips, labels, indicia, etc.(“labels”) to provide information related to products available in thestore, and to attract attention to those products. A product label mayprovide information related to price, sale price, UPC code, productdescription, weight, and/or other product information for a product ondisplay for sale at a store.

Conventional product labels may exist, but have various limitations anddrawbacks. For example, conventional systems may produce a set ofproduct labels for a store employee to place in the store. Storeemployees may have to consult planogram data and/or other plans todetermine where to place the product labels in the store. Even if theproduct labels are provided to the store employee in a predeterminedorder, the product labels themselves may be disposed on separate sheetsthat may be delivered to a store with a fastener, such as a tie, rubberband, plastic band, and/or other fastener holding the labels together.These fasteners may fail to maintain the order of the labels duringshipment, placement, and/or other handling of the labels. For example, afastener holding the labels together may break during shipment of thelabels, during placement of a label, and/or at another time. In anotherexample, after an employee removes the fastener in order to beginplacing the labels, the order of the labels may be unintentionallyaltered. These and other drawbacks exist.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an embodiment, an ordered stack of bound sheets may beprovided. The ordered stack of bound sheets may comprise a set ofprinted product information sheets. An individual bound sheet maycomprise a single printed product information sheet or may comprise aplurality of printed product information sheets. A person, machine,apparatus, and/or other entity used by the store may detach each of theindividual printed product information sheets from the ordered stack ofbound sheets in the order in which the printed product informationsheets are presented to the worker. The person, machine, apparatus,and/or other entity in the store may connect the individual printedproduct information sheets (which are detached from the ordered stack inorder) to structures in the stores based on a planogram for a set ofproducts for display in the store. The order of the printed productinformation sheets may match an order in which the person, machine,apparatus, and/or other entity moves through the store based on theplanogram.

In the ordered stack of bound sheets, each individual sheet may be boundto the ordered stack of sheets. For example, an individual sheet may bebound to an adjacent sheet, to the ordered stack of sheets as a whole,and/or be otherwise bound to the ordered stack of bound sheets. Anindividual sheet of the ordered stack of bound sheets may comprise, forexample, a printed production information sheet, a set of printedproduction information sheets where a first printed product informationsheet shares an edge with a second printed product information sheet, asubstrate on which a set of printed product information sheets may bedisposed, and/or other carrier onto which one or more printed productinformation sheets may be disposed.

In some embodiments, the ordered stack of bound sheets may be bound at acorresponding edge of each of the individual sheets. In some examples,the ordered stack of bound sheets may be bound by a glue binding at acorresponding edge (e.g., a top edge, side edge, bottom edge, and/orother edge) of each of the individual sheets. In some examples, theordered stack of bound sheets may be bound by a spiral binding, staplebinding, and/or other mechanical binding. In some embodiments, eachindividual bound sheet may comprise a header adjacent the top edge, witha second tearable edge between the header of the bound sheet and theremainder of the bound sheet. An individual bound sheet may be removedfrom the stack of bound sheets via the tearable edge. In someembodiments, each individual bound sheet may be removed from the stackof bound sheets by removing the entire individual bound sheet out of themechanical binding. In other embodiments, the ordered stack of boundsheets may be bound by removably attaching a first bound sheet to anadjacent second bound sheet of the ordered stack of bound sheets, wherethe second bound sheet has been removably attached to an adjacent thirdbound sheet of the ordered stack of bound sheets. The manners in whichthe sheets may be bound in the ordered stack are not limited to theembodiments described herein.

The ordered stack of bound sheets may be ordered based on theinformation printed on the printed product information sheets of thestack. An individual printed product information sheet may be associatedwith an individual product displayed in the store or a set of productsthat are displayed adjacent to each other in the store. An individualprinted product information sheet may be placed at a shelf, peg board,and/or other structure near the location of the product(s) associatedwith the individual printed product information sheet. An individualprinted product information sheet may have printed thereon informationrelated to the associated product(s), order or position indicatorinformation, and/or other information related to a product in the store.

The ordered stack of bound sheets may be ordered based on the orderindicator information printed on the individual printed productinformation sheets. Order indicator information of an individual printedproduct information sheet may include, for example, information relatedto an order of the printed product information sheet relative to theother printed product information sheets in the ordered stack of boundsheets.

In some embodiments, the information related to the order of the printedproduct information sheet may comprise a number relating to the positionof the printed product information sheet in the set of printedinformation sheets included in the ordered stack of bound sheets,planogram information for the product(s) associated with the printedproduct information sheet from a planogram of products available in thestore, a combination thereof, and/or other information related to theorder of the printed product information sheet relative to the otherprinted product information sheets in the ordered stack of bound sheets.

The planogram information may comprise information related to thelocation of the associated product(s) in the store, a location at whichthe printed product information sheet is to be placed in the store, acombination thereof, and/or other information related to the location ofthe printed product information sheet. In some embodiments, the orderedstack of bound sheets may be ordered based on the planogram informationof the printed product information sheets (e.g., based on locations atwhich the printed information sheets of the ordered stack are to beplaced).

In some embodiments, the planogram information may comprise textualinformation related to a specific placement of the product (e.g., withregard to aisle, shelf, location on shelf, and/or other location of anassociated product), a graphic depiction of a location in the store(e.g., absolute location, location relative to a next ordered printedproduct information sheet, and/or other location) based on the planograminformation for the printed product information sheet, a combinationthereof, and/or other information related to the location of the printedproduct information sheet in the store. In some embodiments, theplanogram information may also comprise information related to placementlocation of an adjacent previous printed product information sheet andan adjacent next printed product information sheet in the ordered stackof bound sheets.

The information related to the product that is printed on the printedproduct information sheet may comprise product description and/orgraphical representation of the product, product price labelinformation, retailer-specific information, a combination thereof,and/or other information related to the product. Product price labelinformation may comprise, for example, mandatory information to bedisplayed for a product, such as product identifier, UPC code, price,weight per unit, and/or other information required to be provided with aproduct displayed in a store. Retailer-specific information maycomprise, for example, information relating to a sale, coupon, and/orother promotion of a product, cross-sell information about a relatedproduct, and/or other retailer-specific information about the product.

In some embodiments, the individual printed product information sheetmay be placed at a shelf, peg board, and/or other structure near thelocation of the product associated with the individual printed productinformation sheet. In some embodiments, the structure itself maycomprise a connector in which the individual printed product informationsheet may be disposed. For example, the individual printed productinformation sheet may be die cut to fit into a holder at the structure.In some embodiments, the individual printed product information sheetmay comprise a connector via which the individual printed productinformation sheet may be attached to the structure. The connector of theindividual printed product information sheet may comprise, for example,an adhesive connector, a clip, and/or other fastener.

In some embodiments, a first printed product information sheet and asecond printed product information sheet in a single ordered stack ofbound sheets may have different templates, may be of different sizes,may comprise different types of printed information, may compriseinformation printed in different orientations, colors, and/or with otherdifferent formats, may comprise different connectors for connection to arespective structure in the store, and/or may otherwise have differentcharacteristics. In some embodiments, a first bound sheet and a secondbound sheet may have different sizes, may comprise a different number ofprinted product information sheets disposed thereon, and/or may haveother different characteristics.

In some embodiments, a computer-implemented method for producing anordered stack of bound sheets comprising a set of printed productinformation sheets may be implemented in a computer system comprisingone or more physical processors and one or more printers communicablycoupled to the one or more physical processors. The method for producingan ordered stack of bound sheets that include a set of printed productinformation sheets may comprise, for example, receiving, by the one ormore physical processors, planogram data for a store, wherein theplanogram data identifies a set of products for display in the store,and, for each individual product of the set of products, informationrelated to a respective location in the store at which the individualproduct is displayed. Information related to a location at which aproduct is displayed may comprise, for example, an aisle number, a shelfand/or other structure number, a location on the shelf and/or otherstructure, an identification of an adjacent product, any combinationthereof, and/or other location information related to the product.

Based on the planogram data and the structure at which a product isdisplayed, a set of printed product information sheets may be printed bythe one or more physical processors and the one or more printers, suchthat the set of printed product information sheets may compriseinformation about the set of products for display in the store. Anindividual printed product information sheet may have printed thereoninformation about an individual product or a set of products,information about a location at which the printed product informationsheet is to be placed in the store, an order indicator indicating anorder of the printed product information sheet relative to the otherprinted product information sheets in the set of printed productinformation sheets, and/or other information related to the product orset of products associated with the individual printed productinformation sheet.

In some embodiments, the information to be printed on an individualprinted product information sheet may be accessed, by the one or morephysical processors, from one or more databases communicably coupled tothe one or more physical processors. The databases may include, forexample, a planogram database comprising planogram data for the store, aproduct database comprising product information for the set of productsfor display in the store, a non-transitory electronic storage deviceconfigured to store a set of indicators for each individual product thatindicate what information is to be printed for an individual product,and/or other information related to the set of products, and/or otherdatabases related to the store.

The printed product information sheet may be placed adjacent to theproduct in the corresponding structure at which the product isdisplayed. In some embodiments, the planogram database, productdatabase, and/or other databases may comprise information related to howthe printed product information sheet is to be attached to a structureat which the associated product(s) are displayed. Based on theattachment, the printed product information may be die cut to fit into aconnector disposed at the structure, may have a connector affixedthereon, and/or may otherwise be made ready to connect to the structureat which the printed product information sheet is to be placed. In someembodiments, this operation may be performed before or after the orderedstack of bound sheets comprising the set of printed product informationsheets are bound.

In some embodiments in which a bound sheet of the ordered stack of boundsheets comprises an individual printed product information sheet, theprinted product information sheets may be bound together in an orderbased on the order indicator information printed on the set of printedproduct information sheets.

In other embodiments in which a bound sheet of the ordered stack ofbound sheets comprises a plurality of printed product informationsheets, the bound sheets may be bound together in an order based on theorder indicator information printed on the plurality of printed productinformation sheets.

In other embodiments in which a bound sheet comprises a substrate ontowhich one or more printed product information sheets may be disposed,the set of printed product information sheets may be apportioned inorder to one or more substrates, based on a number of printed productinformation sheets that may be disposed on an individual substrate. Thesubstrates may be bound before or after the printed product informationsheets are disposed thereon.

These and other aspects, features, and characteristics of the presentinvention, as well as the functions of the related elements of structureand the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will becomemore apparent upon consideration of the following description and theappended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all ofwhich form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numeralsdesignate corresponding parts in the various figures. It is to beexpressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose ofillustration and description only and are not intended as a definitionof the limits of the invention. As used in the specification and in theclaims, the singular form of “a”, “an”, and “the” include pluralreferents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates an exemplary ordered stack of bound sheetscomprising a set of printed product information sheets, according to anaspect of the invention.

FIG. 1B illustrates an exemplary ordered stack of bound sheetscomprising a set of printed product information sheets, according to anaspect of the invention.

FIG. 1C illustrates an exemplary ordered stack of bound sheetscomprising a set of printed product information sheets, according to anaspect of the invention.

FIG. 1D an exemplary ordered stack of bound sheets comprising a set ofprinted product information sheets, according to an aspect of theinvention.

FIG. 1E an exemplary ordered stack of bound sheets comprising a set ofprinted product information sheets, according to an aspect of theinvention.

FIG. 2A illustrates an exemplary bound sheet, according to an aspect ofthe invention.

FIG. 2B illustrates an exemplary bound sheet, according to an aspect ofthe invention.

FIG. 2C illustrates an exemplary bound sheet, according to an aspect ofthe invention.

FIG. 3A illustrates exemplary printed product information sheet,according to an aspect of the invention.

FIG. 3B illustrates an exemplary printed product information sheet,according to an aspect of the invention.

FIG. 3C illustrates an exemplary printed product information sheet,according to an aspect of the invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a system for producing an ordered stack of boundsheets comprising a set of printed product information sheets, accordingto an aspect of the invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary method of producing anordered stack of bound sheets comprising a set of printed productinformation sheets, according to an aspect of the invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary method of producing anordered stack of bound sheets comprising a set of printed productinformation sheets, according to an aspect of the invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary method followed by astore worker to place the printed product information sheets in thestore, according to an aspect of the invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary method followed by astore worker to place the printed product information sheets in thestore, according to an aspect of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1A-1E illustrate exemplary ordered stacks of bound sheets 10 a, 10b, 10 c, 10 d, 10 e respectively, where each ordered stack 10 of boundsheets 100 comprises a set of printed product information sheets 200,according to an aspect of the invention. According to an aspect of theinvention, an ordered stack 10 of bound sheets 100 may be provided. Theordered stack 10 of bound sheets 100 may comprise a set of printedproduct information sheets 200. An individual bound sheet 100 a maycomprise a single printed product information sheet 200 a or maycomprise a plurality of printed product information sheets 200 a, 200 b,. . . , 200 n. Each of the individual printed product information sheets200 may be detached from the ordered stack of bound sheets 10 in theorder in which the printed product information sheets 200 are presentedto the worker. The individual printed product information sheets 200(which are detached from the ordered stack 100 in order) may beconnected to structures in the stores based on a planogram for a set ofproducts for display in the store. The order of the printed productinformation sheets 200 may match an order in which the worker movesthrough the store based on the planogram.

In some embodiments, a set of printed product information sheets 200 maycorrespond to all of the products for display in the store. In someembodiments, a set of printed product information sheets 200 maycorrespond to a subset of the products for display in the store. Forexample, a set of printed product information sheets 200 may comprisereplacement sheets for printed product information sheets 200 that aredisposed throughout the store. A set of printed product informationsheets 200 also may correspond only to products to be placed in acertain section aisle, shelf, and/or other area of the store.

In the ordered stack of bound sheets 10, each individual sheet 100 maybe bound to the ordered stack of sheets. For example, an individualsheet 100 a may be bound to an adjacent sheet 100 b as shown in FIGS. 1Aand 1B, to the ordered stack of sheets 10 as a whole as shown in FIGS.1C and 1D, and/or be otherwise bound to the ordered stack of boundsheets 10. As shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D, the ordered stack ofbound sheets may be bound at a corresponding edge of each of theindividual sheets.

As shown in FIG. 1A, an individual sheet may be bound to the remainderof the stack of ordered sheets. For example, sheet 100 a of the orderedstack of bound sheets 100 may be removably attached to an adjacentsecond bound sheet 100 b of the ordered stack of bound sheets 100, wherethe second bound sheet 100 b has been removably attached to an adjacentthird bound sheet of the ordered stack of bound sheets 100. The sheet100 a may be removably attached to the second sheet 100 b by anadhesive, by VELCRO, by glue, and/or by any known mechanisms forreleasably securing sheets of material to one another. An individualbound sheet may be removed from the stack of bound sheets by pulling thesheet away from the remainder of the ordered stack of bound sheets (suchthat the force of pulling the sheet is greater than the adhesive forcebetween the individual bound sheet and the remainder of the orderedstack of bound sheets). As shown in FIG. 1A, the binding of theindividual bound sheets 10 may be by use of a given width of releasableadhesive at or near a top edge of the bound sheets.

FIG. 1B shows an ordered stack of bound sheets 10 b similar in structureto the ordered stack of bound sheets 10 a, but the binding of theindividual bound sheets 100 may be by use of a given width of releasableadhesive at or near a side edge of the bound sheets instead of a topedge of the sheets.

As shown in FIG. 1C, the ordered stack of bound sheets may be bound by aglue binding at a corresponding top edge of each of the individualsheets. An individual bound sheet may be removed from the stack of boundsheets by tearing the sheet away from the remainder of the ordered stackof bound sheets.

As shown in FIG. 1D, each individual bound sheet may comprise a headeradjacent the top edge, with a tearable edge (dotted line in FIG. 1D)between the header of the bound sheet and the remainder of the boundsheet. The bound sheets may be bound together using a strong adhesive,such as a glue, a heat-activated adhesive binding, and/or otheradhesive. An individual bound sheet may be removed from the stack ofbound sheets via the tearable edge.

As shown in FIG. 1E, the ordered stack of bound sheets may be bound by aspiral binding, staple binding, and/or other mechanical binding. Anindividual bound sheet may be removed from the stack of bound sheets byremoving the entire individual bound sheet out of the mechanicalbinding.

An individual sheet 100 a of the ordered stack of bound sheets maycomprise, for example, a printed production information sheet 200 a, aset of printed production information sheets 200 a, 200 b where a firstprinted product information sheet 200 a shares an edge with a secondprinted product information sheet 200 b, a substrate 100 c on which aset of printed product information sheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 nmay be disposed, and/or other carrier onto which one or more printedproduct information sheets 200 may be disposed.

As shown in FIG. 2A, individual sheet 100 a of the ordered stack ofbound sheets may comprise, for example, a single printed productioninformation sheet 200 a. In some embodiments, the individual sheet 100is a printed product information sheet 200 a.

As shown in FIG. 2B, individual sheet 100 b of the ordered stack ofbound sheets may comprise, for example, a set of printed productioninformation sheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n, where a first printedproduct information sheet 200 b shares an edge with a second printedproduct information sheet 200 c. In the example shown in FIG. 2B, firstprinted product information sheet 200 b shares an edge (shown by thevertical dotted line in FIG. 2B) with second printed product informationsheet 200 c, and second printed product information sheet 200 c sharesan opposite edge with third printed product information sheet 200 d. Theedges shared by two printed product information sheets may be tearable.For example, the edges shared by two printed product information sheetmay be perforated, may be set out in thick lines to indicate a cuttingline, and/or may otherwise be easily separable.

In some embodiments, the sizes of the first printed product informationsheet 200 b, the second printed product information sheet 200 c, and thethird printed product information sheet 200 d may be the same. In someembodiments, the size of the first printed product information sheet 200b may be different from the size of the second printed productinformation sheet 200 c. In some embodiments, the template and layout ofthe first printed product information sheet 200 b, the second printedproduct information sheet 200 c, and the third printed productinformation sheet 200 d may be the same. In some embodiments, thetemplate, layout, types of information printed, any combination thereof,and/or other information disposed on the first printed productinformation sheet 200 b may be different from that disposed on thesecond printed product information sheet 200 c.

As shown in FIG. 2C, individual sheet 100 c of the ordered stack ofbound sheets may comprise, for example, a substrate 250 onto which oneor more printed production information sheets are disposed. In theexample shown in FIG. 2C, individual sheet 100 c of the ordered stack ofbound sheets may comprise a substrate 250 onto which a first printedproduct information sheet 200 e and a second printed product informationsheet 200 f. For example, the substrate 250 may be an adhesive on whichprinted product information sheets 200 may be disposed. In anotherexample, the substrate may be a liner and/or other backing for printedproduct information sheets 200 e, 200 f with an adhesive portion.

The first printed product information sheet 200 e and the second printedproduct information sheet 200 f may be disposed on the individual sheet100 c with respective borders disposed around the printed productinformation sheets 200 e, 200 f. In some examples, the printed productinformation sheets may be disposed on a substrate 100 c without anysurrounding border. In some embodiments, the printed product informationsheets may share an edge. The edges shared by two printed productinformation sheets may be tearable. For example, the edges shared by thetwo printed product information sheets may be perforated, may be set outin thick lines to indicate a cutting line, and/or may otherwise beeasily separable.

In some embodiments, the sizes of the first printed product informationsheet 200 e and the second printed product information sheet 200 f maybe the same. In some embodiments, the size of the first printed productinformation sheet 200 e may be different from the size of the secondprinted product information sheet 200 f. In some embodiments, thetemplate and layout of the first printed product information sheet 200 eand the second printed product information sheet 200 f may be the same.In some embodiments, the template, layout, types of information printed,any combination thereof, and/or other information disposed on the firstprinted product information sheet 200 e may be different from thatdisposed on the second printed product information sheet 200 f.

The ordered stack of bound sheets 10 may be ordered based on theinformation printed on the printed product information sheets 200 of thestack 10. An individual printed product information sheet 200 a may beassociated with an individual product displayed in the store or a set ofproducts that are displayed adjacent to each other in the store. Anindividual printed product information sheet 200 may be placed at ashelf, peg board, and/or other structure near the location of theproduct(s) associated with the individual printed product informationsheet 200. In some embodiments, the printed product information sheets200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n may be placed on a shelf that includes adigital display, in a manner the same as or similar to the inclusion ofshelf edge labels or strips in the display system as described in U.S.Pat. No. 7,287,001, filed Aug. 5, 2002, and incorporated herein in itsentirety by reference. An individual printed product information sheet200 may have printed thereon product information 210 related to theassociated product(s), order indicator information 220, and/or otherinformation related to a product in the store.

In some embodiments, an individual printed product information sheet 200may comprise information printed thereon that is the same as or similarto a strip, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,626,613, filed Jan. 10,2003, and incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

The product(s) associated with an individual printed product informationsheet 200, the order indicator 220 of the printed product informationsheet 200, a size of a printed product information sheet 200, a templateof the printed product information sheet 200, a layout of theinformation printed on the printed product information sheet 200, thetypes of information printed on the printed product information sheet200, a potential connector attached to the printed product informationsheet 200, and/or other information related to the printed productinformation sheet 200 may be obtained based on the planogram for thestore.

For example, a first printed product information sheet 200 a may have alength of 4 feet, may be die cut to fit into a connector at a firstshelf, and may be placed as a shelf talker (i.e., printed material, orother mechanism positioned on or near a store shelf to call a buyer'sattention to a particular product on the shelf) at the first shelf,while a second printed product information sheet 200 b adjacent to thefirst printed product information sheet 200 a in the ordered stack 10may have a length of 2.5 inches and may have comprise a portion withadhesive backing to attach to a connector at a second shelf adjacent tothe first shelf in the store. In this example, the first printed productinformation sheet 200 a may be a shelf talker while the second printedproduct information sheet 200 b may comprise information related to apromotion of a product on an adjacent shelf.

The ordered stack of bound sheets 10 may be ordered based on the orderindicator information 220 printed on the individual printed productinformation sheets 200. Order indicator information 220 of an individualprinted product information sheet 200 may comprise, for example,information related to an order of the printed product information sheetrelative to the other printed product information sheets in the orderedstack of bound sheets.

In some embodiments, each bound sheet 100 may comprise a separate boundsheet order indicator printed thereon. In these embodiments, eachindividual bound sheet 100 may comprise a separate bound sheet orderindicator regardless of the number of printed product information sheets200 positioned on the individual bound sheet 100. In some examples, thebound sheet order indicator may be a number indicating a position of anindividual bound sheet 100 relative to the other bound sheets in anordered stack of bound sheets 10. In some examples, the bound sheetorder indicator may comprise a starting location at which a first (oronly) printed product information sheet positioned on the bound sheet isto be placed. The bound sheet order indicator may indicate the startinglocation based on planogram information for the store. In someembodiments, the bound sheet order indicator may comprise a startinglocation and an end location within which the plurality of (or single)printed product information sheets are to be placed in the store. Thebound sheet order indicator may indicate the starting location and theend location based on planogram information for the store.

In some embodiments, the order indicator information 220 related to theorder of the printed product information sheet 200 may comprise a numberrelating to a position of the printed product information sheet 200 inthe set of printed information sheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 nincluded in the ordered stack of bound sheets 10, planogram information230 for the product(s) associated with the printed product informationsheet 200 from a planogram of products available in the store, acombination thereof, and/or other information related to the order ofthe printed product information sheet 200 relative to the other printedproduct information sheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n in the orderedstack of bound sheets 10. In some embodiments, the planogram information230 may be printed separately from the order indicator information 220on a printed product information sheet.

The planogram information 230 may comprise information related to thelocation of the associated product(s) in the store, a location at whichthe printed product information sheet is to be placed in the store, acombination thereof, and/or other information related to the location inthe store at which the printed product information sheet is to beplaced. In some embodiments, the ordered stack of bound sheets may beordered based on the planogram information of the printed productinformation sheets (e.g., based on a location at which the printedinformation sheets of the ordered stack are to be placed).

In some embodiments, the planogram information 230 may comprise textualinformation related to a specific placement of the printed productinformation sheet (e.g., with regard to aisle, shelf, location on shelf,and/or other location of an associated product), a graphic depiction ofa location in the store (e.g., absolute location, location relative to anext ordered printed product information sheet, location on a shelfindicated by textual information, location relative to the associatedproduct(s), location relative to an adjacent product, and/or otherlocation) based on the planogram information for the printed productinformation sheet, a combination thereof, and/or other informationrelated to the location at which the printed product information sheetis to be placed in the store. In some embodiments, the planograminformation 230 also may comprise information related to placementlocation of an adjacent previous printed product information sheet andan adjacent next printed product information sheet in the ordered stackof bound sheets 10.

In some embodiments, the planogram information 230 also may comprise agraphical representation of a structure and product(s) associated withthe printed product information sheet 200, a graphical representation ofa structure at which the printed product information sheet 200 is to bepositioned and adjacent product(s), a graphical representation of astructure at which the printed product information sheet 200 is to bepositioned and the placement of other printed product information sheets200 onto that structure, a graphical representation of a structure atwhich the printed product information sheet 200 is to be positioned, theplacement of other printed product information sheets 200 onto thatstructure, one or more connectors and/or other attachment mechanisms onthe structure at which no printed product information sheets 200 are tobe placed, and/or other graphical representations of the position of theprinted product information sheet 200 in the store.

In some embodiments, the order indicator 220 and/or the planograminformation 230 may be printed on an opposite side of the printedproduct information sheet 200 from the product information 210. Theposition(s) of the product information 210, the order indicator 220, theplanogram information 230, and/or any combination thereof on a printedproduct information sheet 200 is not limited to the examples describedherein.

The product information 210 related to the product that is printed onthe printed product information sheet 200 may comprise product pricelabel information 210 a, retailer-specific information 210 b, productattribute information 210 c, product category information (not shown),manufacturer-specific information (not shown), distributer-specificinformation (not shown), a combination thereof, and/or other informationrelated to the product. Product price label information 210 a maycomprise, for example, mandatory information to be displayed for aproduct, such as product identifier, UPC code, price, weight per unit,and/or other information required by a state to be provided with aproduct displayed in a store. Retailer-specific information 210 b maycomprise, for example, information relating to a sale, coupon, and/orother promotion of a product, cross-sell information about a relatedproduct, and/or other retailer-specific information about the product.Product attribute information 210 c may comprise, for example, a productlogo, information related to branding of the product, and/or otherinformation related to the product. Product category information maycomprise, for example, information relating to a regulatory informationto be provided with products in the product category associated with theproduct, product category indicator, and/or other information related toa product category of a product. Manufacturer-specific information maycomprise, for example, regulatory information to be provided with theproduct, product manufacturer name, other indicia informing a viewer ofthe product origin or manufacture of the product, information related toother products from the manufacturer, and/or other information relatedto the manufacture and/or manufacturer of the product.Distributor-specific information may comprise, for example, distributorname, other indicia informing a viewer of the distributor of theproduct, related products from the distributor, and/or other informationrelated to the distributor of the product.

In some embodiments, the individual printed product information sheet200 may be placed at a shelf, peg board, and/or other structure near thelocation of the product associated with the individual printed productinformation sheet. In some embodiments, the structure itself maycomprise a connector or the device into or onto which the individualprinted product information sheet 200 may be positioned. For example,the individual printed product information sheet 200 may be die cut tofit into a holder at the structure. In some embodiments, the individualprinted product information sheet 200 may comprise a connector via whichthe individual printed product information sheet 200 may be attached tothe structure. The connector of the individual printed productinformation sheet 200 may comprise, for example, an adhesive connector,a clip, a button, and/or other fastener.

As shown in FIG. 3A, an exemplary printed product information sheet 200a may have printed thereon product price label information 210 a,including a product picture 212, product UPC symbol or QR code 214,product price 216, and/or other information desired or required by agoverning authority to be displayed with a product displayed in a storefor sale. The printed product information sheet 200 a also may haveprinted thereon an order indicator 220 and planogram information 230.The planogram information 230 may comprise textual information, agraphic depiction, and/or other information related to a placement ofthe printed product information sheet 200 a in the store.

As shown in FIG. 3B, an exemplary printed product information sheet 200b may have printed thereon retailer-specific product information 210 b,which may include a product promotion 218, and/or otherretailer-specific product information. The printed product informationsheet 200 b may also comprise an order indicator 220, and/or otherinformation printed thereon.

As shown in FIG. 3C, an exemplary printed product information sheet 200b may have printed thereon product attribute information 210 c, whichmay include a product logo 219, and/or other retailer-specific productinformation. The printed product information sheet 200 b may alsocomprise an order indicator 220, and/or other information printedthereon.

In some embodiments, a first printed product information sheet 200 a anda second printed product information sheet 200 b in a single orderedstack of bound sheets 10 may have different templates, may be ofdifferent sizes, may comprise different types of printed information,may comprise information printed in different orientations, colors,and/or with other different formats, may comprise different connectorsfor connection to a respective structure in the store, and/or mayotherwise have different characteristics. In some embodiments, a firstbound sheet 100 a and a second bound sheet 100 b may have differentsizes, may comprise a different number of printed product informationsheets disposed thereon, and/or may have other differentcharacteristics.

In some embodiments, a set of printed product information sheets 200 maycorrespond to a subset of the products included in the planogram. Forexample, a set of printed product information sheets 200 may comprisereplacement sheets for printed product information sheets 200 that aredisposed throughout the store. In another example, printed productinformation sheets 200 may not be placed at every available position inthe store.

In some embodiments, each of the printed product information sheets 200a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n of the set of printed product information sheets200 may comprise planogram information that comprises a graphicalrepresentation of a structure at which the printed product informationsheet 200 is to be positioned, the placement of other printed productinformation sheets 200 onto that structure, one or more connectorsand/or other attachment mechanisms on the structure at which no printedproduct information sheets 200 are to be placed, and/or other graphicalrepresentations of the position of the printed product information sheet200 in the store.

In other embodiments, the ordered stack of bound sheets 100 may comprisea set of printed product information sheets 200 for all of the productsincluded in the planogram. In these embodiments, the set of printedproduct information sheets 200 may comprise a first subset of printedproduct information sheets 200 that correspond to the subset of productsand a second subset of product information sheets that do not correspondto any products in the planogram. The second subset of productinformation sheets may be blank, may have printed thereon an indicationthat the individual product information sheet is not associated with aproduct in the planogram (e.g., an indication of “Empty”, “No Label”,“No Tag”, and/or other indication), may have printed thereon only orderindicator 220, planogram information 230, and/or may have printedthereon any combination thereof. The first subset of printed productinformation sheets and the second subset of product information sheetsmay be ordered in the ordered stack of bound sheets 100 based on theplanogram for the store. For example, where a first product in theplanogram is associated with a printed product information sheet 200 a,a second product is not associated with any printed product informationsheets, and a third product is associated with a second printed productinformation sheet 200 b, the ordered stack 10 of bound sheets 100 maycomprise a set of bound sheets 100 including the first printed productinformation sheet 200 a, a blank product information sheet, and thesecond printed product information sheet 200 b made available in order.

FIG. 4 illustrates a system for producing an ordered stack of boundsheets comprising a set of printed product information sheets, accordingto an aspect of the invention. The system 1000 may comprise a server 300configured to receive planogram information related to a set of productsat a store, and send information to be printed on a set of printedproduct information sheets to one or more printers 400. The server 300may be communicably coupled to one or more databases, such as, forexample, a product database 510 configured to store product informationfor a plurality of products, a planogram database 520 configured tostore planogram information for one or more stores, and/or otherdatabases. In some embodiments, system 1000 also may comprise one ormore client devices 600 which may be associated with a store. A clientdevice 600 may comprise, for example, one or more physical processors610, a non-transitory electronic storage device 620, and/or othercomponents. The server 300 may be configured to obtain planogram dataand product data from non-transitory electronic storage device 320, fromone or more of the product database 510, the planogram database 520,and/or other databases, from one or more client devices 600, and/or fromother sources.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary method of producing anordered stack of bound sheets 10 comprising a set of printed productinformation sheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n, according to an aspectof the invention. In some embodiments, a computer-implemented method 50for producing an ordered stack of bound sheets 10 comprising a set ofprinted product information sheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n may beimplemented in computer system 1000 comprising a server 300 with one ormore physical processors 310 and one or more printers 400 communicablycoupled to the one or more physical processors 310.

The operations of method 50 presented below are intended to beillustrative. In some embodiments, method 50 may be accomplished withone or more additional operations not described, and/or without one ormore of the operations discussed. Additionally, the order in which theoperations of method 50 are illustrated in FIG. 5 and described below isnot intended to be limiting.

In some embodiments, method 50 may be implemented in one or moreprocessing devices (e.g., a digital processor, an analog processor, adigital circuit designed to process information, an analog circuitdesigned to process information, a state machine, and/or othermechanisms for electronically processing information). The one or moreprocessing devices may include one or more devices executing some or allof the operations of method 50 in response to instructions storedelectronically on an electronic storage medium. The one or moreprocessing devices may include one or more devices configured throughhardware, firmware, and/or software to be specifically designed forexecution of one or more of the operations of method 50.

In the method 50, a bound sheet 100 may comprise a single printedproduct information sheet 200 a or a set of printed product informationsheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n. As shown in operation 52, the methodfor producing an ordered stack of bound sheets 10 comprising a set ofprinted product information sheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n maycomprise, for example, obtaining, by the one or more physical processors310, planogram data for a store, wherein the planogram data identifies aset of products for display in the store, and, for each individualproduct of the set of products, information related to a respectivelocation in the store at which the individual product is displayed.Information related to a location at which a product is displayed maycomprise, for example, an aisle number, a shelf and/or other structurenumber, a location on the shelf and/or other structure, anidentification of an adjacent product, any combination thereof, and/orother location information related to the product.

As shown in an operation 54, product and planogram data related to theproducts may be apportioned among the set of printed product informationsheets 200 based on the planogram data. The products may be apportionedamong the set of printed product information sheets 200 in order oftheir location in the store, based on the planogram data for the store.

In an operation 56, the set of printed product information sheets 200 a,200 b, . . . , 200 n may be printed. For example, based on the planogramdata and the structure at which a product is displayed, a set of printedproduct information sheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n may be printed bythe one or more physical processors 310 and the one or more printers400, such that the set of printed product information sheets 200 a, 200b, . . . , 200 n have printed thereon information about the set ofproducts for display in the store. An individual printed productinformation sheet 200 may have printed thereon information about anindividual product or a set of products, information about a location atwhich the printed product information sheet is to be placed in thestore, an order indicator indicating an order of the printed productinformation sheet, and/or other information related to the product orset of products associated with the individual printed productinformation sheet.

In some embodiments, the information to be printed on an individualprinted product information sheet 200 may be acquired, by the one ormore physical processors 310, from one or more databases 500communicably coupled to the one or more physical processors 310. Thedatabases 500 may include, for example, a planogram database 510comprising planogram data for the store, a product database 520comprising product information for the set of products for display inthe store, a non-transitory electronic storage device (e.g.,non-transitory electronic storage device 320, non-transitory electronicstorage device 620, and/or other non-transitory electronic storagedevice) configured to store a set of indicators for each individualproduct that indicate what information is to be printed for anindividual product, and/or other information related to the set ofproducts, and/or other databases related to the store. The databasesalso may include a regulatory database (not shown) that includesrequirements for various jurisdictions regarding the type(s) ofinformation to be disclosed with each product. Such a database ordatabases is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2011/0066458, the disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

In an operation 58, the set of printed product information sheets 200 a,200 b, . . . , 200 b may be bound in an order based on the orderindicator information printed on the individual printed productinformation sheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n. For example, the set ofprinted product information sheets 200 may be bound at a same edge(e.g., a top edge) with a glue binding, with a mechanical binding, witha removable adhesive binding, with a non-removable binding and atearable strip, and/or by other types of binding.

In some embodiments, either between operations 56 and 58, or afteroperation 58, any necessary connectors may be attached to individualprinted product information sheets 200. For example, an adhesive may beapplied (with a lining and/or other backing) to a first printed productinformation sheet 200 a while a clip may be applied to a second printedproduction information sheet 200 b. In some examples, a same type ofconnector may be applied to all of the printed product informationsheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n in an ordered stack of bound sheets10.

In some embodiments, either before or after operation 56, the individualprinted product information sheets 200 may be cut to a predeterminedlength. In some embodiments, a first printed product information sheet200 a may be cut to a first predetermined length and a second printedproduct information sheet 200 b may be cut to a second predeterminedlength different from the first length. The predetermined length for anindividual printed product information sheet 200 may be determined basedon information stored at the system 1000 and/or may otherwise bedetermined.

In some embodiments, the printed product information sheets 200 a, 200b, . . . , 200 n may be printed in a manner the same as or similar tothe printing of shelf edge labels or strips as described in U.S. Pat.No. 7,287,001, filed Aug. 5, 2002, and incorporated above in itsentirety by reference, or in a manner the same as or similar to theprinting of strips, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,626,613, filed Jan.10, 2003, and incorporated above in its entirety by reference.

The printed product information sheet 200 may be placed adjacent to theproduct in the corresponding structure at which the product isdisplayed. In some embodiments, the planogram database 510, productdatabase 520, regulations database, and/or other databases may compriseinformation related to how the printed product information sheet 200 isto be attached to a structure at which the associated product(s) aredisplayed. Based on the attachment information, the printed productinformation sheet 200 may be die cut to fit into a connector disposed atthe structure, may have a connector affixed thereon, and/or mayotherwise be made ready to connect to the structure at which the printedproduct information sheet 200 is to be placed. In some embodiments, thisoperation may be performed before or after the ordered stack of boundsheets 10 comprising the set of printed product information sheets 200a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n are bound.

In some embodiments in which a bound sheet 100 of the ordered stack ofbound sheets 10 comprises an individual printed product informationsheet 200, the printed product information sheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . ,200 n may be bound together in an order based on the order indicatorinformation printed on the set of printed product information sheets 200a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n.

In other embodiments in which a bound sheet 100 of the ordered stack ofbound sheets 10 comprises a plurality of printed product informationsheets 200 a, 200 b, the bound sheets 100 may be bound together in anorder based on the order indicator information printed on the pluralityof printed product information sheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n.

In other embodiments in which a bound sheet 100 comprises a substrate onwhich one or more printed product information sheets 200 may bepositioned, the set of printed product information sheets 200 a, 200 b,. . . , 200 n may be apportioned in order to one or more substrates,based on a number of printed product information sheets 200 a, 200 b, .. . , 200 n that may be positioned on an individual substrate. Thesubstrates may be bound before or after the printed product informationsheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n are positioned thereon.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary method of producing anordered stack of bound sheets 10 comprising a set of printed productinformation sheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n for a subset of theproducts in the planogram for the store, according to an aspect of theinvention.

In some embodiments, a computer-implemented method 50 for producing anordered stack of bound sheets 10 comprising a set of printed productinformation sheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n may be implemented incomputer system 1000 comprising a server 300 with one or more physicalprocessors 310 and one or more printers 400 communicably coupled to theone or more physical processors 310.

In the method 60, a bound sheet 100 may comprise a single printedproduct information sheet 200 a or a set of printed product informationsheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n. As shown in operation 61, the methodfor producing an ordered stack of bound sheets 10 comprising a set ofprinted product information sheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n for asubset of the products in the planogram for the store may comprise, forexample, obtaining, by the one or more physical processors 310,planogram data for a store, wherein the planogram data identifies a setof products for display in the store, and, for each individual productof the set of products, information related to a respective location inthe store at which the individual product is displayed. Informationrelated to a location at which a product is displayed may comprise, forexample, an aisle number, a shelf and/or other structure number, alocation on the shelf and/or other structure, an identification of anadjacent product, any combination thereof, and/or other locationinformation related to the product.

As shown in an operation 62, information may be obtained related to asubset of the products from the planogram for which product informationsheets are to be positioned in the store. The information related to thesubset of products may be obtained from one or more databases (e.g.,planogram database 510, product database 520, and/or other database),non-transitory electronic storage device 310 of the server, one or moreclient devices 600, and/or from other sources.

As shown in an operation 63, product and planogram data related to theproducts may be apportioned among the set of printed product informationsheets 200 based on the planogram data. The products may be apportionedamong the set of printed product information sheets 200 in order oftheir location in the store, based on the planogram data for the store.

In some embodiments, individual blank sheets of a set of blank sheetsmay be included in the set of printed product information sheets 200 a,200 b, . . . , 200 n. For example, for a product in the planogram thatwas not included in the subset of products, a blank sheet may beinserted at a corresponding position in the set of printed productinformation sheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n. As such, the set ofprinted product information sheets 200 may comprise printed productinformation sheets as well as individual blank sheets. Each individualblank sheet of the set of blank sheets may correspond to a distinctproduct included in the planogram that was not included in the subset ofproducts. In another example, each individual blank sheet of the set ofblank sheets may correspond to an attachment structure positioned at astructure in the store and included in the planogram for which a printedproduct information sheet 200 a was not included.

In an operation 63, the set of printed product information sheets 200 a,200 b, . . . , 200 n may be generated. For example, based on theplanogram data and the structure at which a product is displayed, a setof printed product information sheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n may beprinted by the one or more physical processors 310 and the one or moreprinters 400, such that the set of printed product information sheets200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n have printed thereon information about thesubset of products. An individual printed product information sheet 200may have printed thereon information about an individual product or aset of products, information about a location at which the printedproduct information sheet is to be placed in the store, an orderindicator indicating an order of the printed product information sheet,planogram information, and/or other information related to the productor set of products associated with the individual printed productinformation sheet.

In some embodiments, the information to be printed on an individualprinted product information sheet 200 may be acquired, by the one ormore physical processors 310, from one or more databases 500communicably coupled to the one or more physical processors 310. Thedatabases 500 may include, for example, a planogram database 510comprising planogram data for the store, a product database 520comprising product information for the set of products for display inthe store, a non-transitory electronic storage device (e.g.,non-transitory electronic storage device 320, non-transitory electronicstorage device 620, and/or other non-transitory electronic storagedevice) configured to store a set of indicators for each individualproduct that indicate what information is to be printed for anindividual product, and/or other information related to the set ofproducts, and/or other databases related to the store. The databasesalso may include a regulatory database (not shown) that includesrequirements for various jurisdictions regarding the type(s) ofinformation to be disclosed with each product. Such a database ordatabases is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2011/0066458, the disclosure of which is incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

In some embodiments in which the individual printed product informationsheets 200 comprise planogram information indicating a location,structure, structure portion, and/or other position in the store atwhich the individual printed product information sheet is to be placed,printed product information sheets are only generated for the subset ofproducts.

In some embodiments, the printed product information sheets 200 may begenerated for the remaining products in the planogram (e.g., theproducts included in the planogram but not included in the subset ofproducts). In some embodiments, the generated printed productinformation sheets for the remaining products may have printed thereonorder indicator information 220, planogram information 230, anindication that the printed product information sheet is not associatedwith any products, and/or any combination thereof. In some embodiments,the generated printed product information sheets may not be manipulatedin any manner (e.g., may be blank sheets that may not have anyinformation printed thereon).

In an operation 68, the set of printed product information sheets 200 a,200 b, . . . , 200 b may be bound in an order based on the orderindicator information printed on the individual printed productinformation sheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n, based on the planograminformation, and/or any combination thereof. For example, the set ofprinted product information sheets 200 may be bound at a same edge(e.g., a top edge) with a glue binding, with a mechanical binding, witha removable adhesive binding, with a non-removable binding and atearable strip, and/or by other types of binding.

In some embodiments in which the set of ordered printed productinformation sheets 200 includes the printed product information sheets200 a, 200 b, 200 n and the individual blank sheets, the set of printedproduct information sheets 200 may be bound in an order based on orderindicator information printed on the individual printed productinformation sheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n and based on theplanogram information.

In some embodiments, either between operations 64 and 65, or afteroperation 65, any necessary connectors may be attached to individualprinted product information sheets 200. For example, an adhesive may beapplied (with a lining and/or other backing) to a first printed productinformation sheet 200 a while a clip may be applied to a second printedproduction information sheet 200 b. In some examples, a same type ofconnector may be applied to all of the printed product informationsheets 200 in an ordered stack of bound sheets 10.

In some embodiments, either before or after operation 64, the individualprinted product information sheets 200 may be cut to a predeterminedlength. In some embodiments, a first printed product information sheet200 a may be cut to a first predetermined length and a second printedproduct information sheet 200 b may be cut to a second predeterminedlength different from the first length. The predetermined length for anindividual printed product information sheet 200 may be determined basedon information stored at the system 1000 and/or may otherwise bedetermined.

In some embodiments, the printed product information sheets 200 a, 200b, . . . , 200 n may be printed in a manner the same as or similar tothe printing of shelf edge labels or strips as described in U.S. Pat.No. 7,287,001, filed Aug. 5, 2002, and incorporated above in itsentirety by reference, or in a manner the same as or similar to theprinting of strips, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,626,613, filed Jan.10, 2003, and incorporated above in its entirety by reference.

The printed product information sheet 200 may be placed adjacent to theproduct in the corresponding structure at which the product isdisplayed. In some embodiments, the planogram database 510, productdatabase 520, regulations database, and/or other databases may compriseinformation related to how the printed product information sheet 200 isto be attached to a structure at which the associated product(s) aredisplayed. Based on the attachment information, the printed productinformation sheet 200 may be die cut to fit into a connector disposed atthe structure, may have a connector affixed thereon, and/or mayotherwise be made ready to connect to the structure at which the printedproduct information sheet 200 is to be placed. In some embodiments, thisoperation may be performed before or after the ordered stack of boundsheets 10 comprising the set of printed product information sheets 200are bound.

In some embodiments in which a bound sheet 100 of the ordered stack ofbound sheets 10 comprises an individual printed product informationsheet 200, the printed product information sheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . ,200 n may be bound together in an order based on the order indicatorinformation printed on the set of printed product information sheets 200a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n.

In other embodiments in which a bound sheet 100 of the ordered stack ofbound sheets 10 comprises a plurality of printed product informationsheets 200 a, 200 b, the bound sheets 100 may be bound together in anorder based on the order indicator information printed on the pluralityof printed product information sheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n.

In other embodiments in which a bound sheet 100 comprises a substrate onwhich one or more printed product information sheets 200 may bepositioned, the set of printed product information sheets 200 a, 200 b,. . . , 200 n may be apportioned in order to one or more substrates,based on a number of printed product information sheets 200 a, 200 b, .. . , 200 n that may be positioned on an individual substrate. Thesubstrates may be bound before or after the printed product informationsheets 200 a, 200 b, . . . , 200 n are positioned thereon.

FIG. 7 illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary method followed by astore (e.g., by employee, machine, apparatus, and/or other entity) toplace the printed product information sheets in the store, according toan aspect of the invention. In the exemplary method of FIG. 7, at leastthe first bound sheet and the second bound sheet of the ordered stack ofsheets comprise a respective single printed product information sheet.

In an operation 72, the store may receive the ordered stack of boundsheets 10. In an operation 74, the store may remove the first boundsheet comprising the first printed product information sheet from theordered stack of bound sheets. In an operation 76, the store may attachthe first printed product information sheet to a corresponding structurebased on the planogram information for the store. In an operation 78,the store may remove the second bound sheet comprising a second printedproduct information sheet from the ordered stack of bound sheets.

FIG. 8 illustrates a flow chart of an exemplary method followed by astore (e.g., by employee, machine, apparatus, and/or other entity) toplace the printed product information sheets in the store, according toan aspect of the invention. In the exemplary method of FIG. 8, at leastthe first bound sheet comprises a set of printed product informationsheets.

In an operation 82, the store may receive the ordered stack of boundsheets 10. In an operation 84, the store may remove a first printedproduct information sheet from a first bound sheet of the ordered stackof bound sheets. In an operation 86, the store may attach the firstprinted product information sheet to a first corresponding structurebased on the planogram information for the store. In an operation 88,the store may remove a second printed product information sheet from thefirst bound sheet of the ordered stack of bound sheets.

In an operation 90, the store may attach the second printed productinformation sheet to a second corresponding structure based on theplanogram information for the store, where the second correspondingstructure may be adjacent to the first corresponding structure in theplanogram information for the store.

In an operation 92, responsive to a determination that all of theprinted product information sheets have been removed from the firstbound sheet, the store may remove the first bound sheet from the orderedstack of bound sheets. In an operation 94, the store may remove a firstprinted product information sheet from a second bound sheet of theordered stack of bound sheets.

The server 300 may be any computing device such as, for example, aserver, a desktop computer, laptop computer, personal digital assistant,smart phone, and/or any other computing device. Other configurations andsystem architectures may be used. For example, although not shown,server 300 may be or include one or more servers connected to one ormore clients via a network 20 such as a Wide Area Network, Local AreaNetwork, the Internet, a cloud-based network and/or other network orcombination thereof. The server 300 may be capable of communicating withnetwork 20, non-transitory electronic storage device 320, databases 500,and/or other computing devices. The server 300 may include a pluralityof hardware, software, and/or firmware components operating together toprovide the functionality attributed herein to server 300. For example,server 300 may be implemented by a cloud of computing platformsoperating together as server 300.

Processor(s) 310 may be configured to provide information processingcapabilities in computing device 300. As such, processor 310 may includeone or more of a digital processor, an analog processor, a digitalcircuit designed to process information, an analog circuit designed toprocess information, a state machine, and/or other mechanisms forelectronically processing information. Although processor 310 is shownin FIG. 4 as a single entity, this is for illustrative purposes only. Insome embodiments, processor 310 may include a plurality of processingunits. These processing units may be physically located within the samedevice, or processor 310 may represent processing functionality of aplurality of devices operating in coordination. The processor 310 may beconfigured to execute functionality by software; hardware; firmware;some combination of software, hardware, and/or firmware; and/or othermechanisms for configuring processing capabilities on processor 310.

The non-transitory electronic storage device 320 may be at least onedatabase that stores system data such as information related to theplurality of products, planogram information, information related to theordered stack of bound sheets, information related to activity performedvia the system 1000, and/or any other data. The non-transitoryelectronic storage device 320 may be associated and communicate with theserver 300.

The one or more databases comprising the non-transitory electronicstorage device 320 may be, include, or interface to, for example, anOracle™ relational database sold commercially by Oracle Corporation.Other databases, such as Informix™, DB2 (Database 2) or other datastorage, including file-based, object, or query formats, platforms, orresources such as OLAP (On Line Analytical Processing), SQL (StandardQuery Language), NoSQL, a SAN (storage area network), Microsoft Access™or other form of database may also be used, incorporated, or accessed.The database may comprise one or more such databases that reside in oneor more physical devices and in one or more physical locations. Thedatabase may store a plurality of types of data and/or files andassociated data or file descriptions, administrative information, or anyother data.

In some embodiments, the non-transitory electronic storage device 320may be part of or hosted by a computing device on the network 20. Insome embodiments, the non-transitory electronic storage device 320 maybe part of or hosted by the server 300. In some embodiments, thenon-transitory electronic storage device 320 may be physically separatefrom the server 300 but may be operably communicable therewith.

In some embodiments, the non-transitory electronic storage device 320may comprise electronic storage media that electronically storesinformation. The non-transitory electronic storage device 320 mayinclude one or more of optically readable storage media (e.g., opticaldisks, etc.), magnetically readable storage media (e.g., magnetic tape,magnetic hard drive, floppy drive, etc.), electrical charge-basedstorage media (e.g., EEPROM, RAM, etc.), solid-state storage media(e.g., flash drive, etc.), and/or other electronically readable storagemedia. The non-transitory electronic storage device 320 may include oneor more virtual storage resources (e.g., cloud storage, a virtualprivate network, and/or other virtual storage resources). Thenon-transitory electronic storage device 320 may store softwarealgorithms, information determined by processor 310, informationreceived from server 300, information received from client devices 600,information received from third parties, and/or other information thatenables server 300 to function as described herein.

A client device 600 may facilitate communication with the server 300.For example, a user may communicate with the server 300 via a clientdevice 600. In some embodiments, the term user may be interchangeablyused herein with the term client device. In some embodiments, a user'sactions and/or functionality as described herein may be carried outand/or implemented by a client device 600. A client device 600 mayinclude one or more processors 610 that are configured to executecomputer program components. The computer program components may beconfigured to enable an expert or user associated with the client device600 to interface with system 1000 and/or other components of the system1000, and/or provide other functionality attributed herein to clientdevice 600. By way of non-limiting example, the client device 600 mayinclude one or more of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a handheldcomputer, a tablet computing platform, a NetBook, a Smartphone, a gamingconsole, and/or other computing platforms. The client device 600 may becapable of communicating with network 20, server 300, non-transitoryelectronic storage device 320, databases 500, and/or other computingdevices.

Processor(s) 610 may be configured to provide information processingcapabilities in client device 600. As such, processor 610 may includeone or more of a digital processor, an analog processor, a digitalcircuit designed to process information, an analog circuit designed toprocess information, a state machine, and/or other mechanisms forelectronically processing information. Although processor 610 is shownin FIG. 4 as a single entity, this is for illustrative purposes only. Insome embodiments, processor 610 may include a plurality of processingunits. These processing units may be physically located within the samedevice, or processor 610 may represent processing functionality of aplurality of devices operating in coordination. The processor 610 may beconfigured to execute functionality by software; hardware; firmware;some combination of software, hardware, and/or firmware; and/or othermechanisms for configuring processing capabilities on processor 610.

The non-transitory electronic storage device 620 may be at least onedatabase that stores system data such as information related to theplurality of products, planogram information, information related to theordered stack of bound sheets, information related to activity performedvia the system 1000, and/or any other data. The non-transitoryelectronic storage device 620 may be associated and communicate with theclient device 600.

The one or more databases comprising the non-transitory electronicstorage device 620 may be, include, or interface to, for example, anOracle™ relational database sold commercially by Oracle Corporation.Other databases, such as Informix™, DB2 (Database 2) or other datastorage, including file-based, object, or query formats, platforms, orresources such as OLAP (On Line Analytical Processing), SQL (StandardQuery Language), NoSQL, a SAN (storage area network), Microsoft Access™or other form of database may also be used, incorporated, or accessed.The database may comprise one or more such databases that reside in oneor more physical devices and in one or more physical locations. Thedatabase may store a plurality of types of data and/or files andassociated data or file descriptions, administrative information, or anyother data.

In some embodiments, the non-transitory electronic storage device 620may be part of or hosted by a computing device on the network 20. Insome embodiments, the non-transitory electronic storage device 620 maybe part of or hosted by the client device 600. In some embodiments, thenon-transitory electronic storage device 620 may be physically separatefrom the client device 600 but may be operably communicable therewith.

In some embodiments, the non-transitory electronic storage device 620may comprise electronic storage media that electronically storesinformation. The non-transitory electronic storage device 620 mayinclude one or more of optically readable storage media (e.g., opticaldisks, etc.), magnetically readable storage media (e.g., magnetic tape,magnetic hard drive, floppy drive, etc.), electrical charge-basedstorage media (e.g., EEPROM, RAM, etc.), solid-state storage media(e.g., flash drive, etc.), and/or other electronically readable storagemedia. The non-transitory electronic storage device 620 may include oneor more virtual storage resources (e.g., cloud storage, a virtualprivate network, and/or other virtual storage resources). Thenon-transitory electronic storage device 620 may store softwarealgorithms, information determined by processor 610, informationreceived from server 300, information received from other client devices600, information received from third parties, and/or other informationthat enables client device 600 to function as described herein.

The printers 400 may be any known printers that are able to receive datafrom the server 300, over a wired or wireless network or by wiredconnection to the server 400. The printers 400 may be any known printerscapable of, configured to, or configurable to print the printed productinformation sheets in the manner described herein.

The databases 500 may be at least one database that stores system datasuch as information related to the plurality of products, planograminformation, information related to the ordered stack of bound sheets,information related to activity performed via the system 1000,information regarding regulations of various jurisdictions that governthe type(s) of information required for a given product or product type,and/or any other data. The non-transitory electronic storage device 320may be associated and communicate with the server 300.

The one or more databases 500 may be, include, or interface to, forexample, an Oracle™ relational database sold commercially by OracleCorporation. Other databases, such as Informix™, DB2 (Database 2) orother data storage, including file-based, object, or query formats,platforms, or resources such as OLAP (On Line Analytical Processing),SQL (Standard Query Language), NoSQL, a SAN (storage area network),Microsoft Access™ or other form of database may also be used,incorporated, or accessed. The databases 500 may comprise one or moresuch databases that reside in one or more physical devices and in one ormore physical locations. The database may store a plurality of types ofdata and/or files and associated data or file descriptions,administrative information, or any other data.

In some embodiments, the databases 500 may be part of or hosted by acomputing device on the network 20. In some embodiments, the databases500 may be part of or hosted by the server 300. In some embodiments, thedatabases 500 may be physically separate from the server 300 but may beoperably communicable therewith.

In some embodiments, the databases 500 may comprise electronic storagemedia that electronically stores information. The databases 500 mayinclude one or more of optically readable storage media (e.g., opticaldisks, etc.), magnetically readable storage media (e.g., magnetic tape,magnetic hard drive, floppy drive, etc.), electrical charge-basedstorage media (e.g., EEPROM, RAM, etc.), solid-state storage media(e.g., flash drive, etc.), and/or other electronically readable storagemedia. The non-transitory electronic storage device 320 may include oneor more virtual storage resources (e.g., cloud storage, a virtualprivate network, and/or other virtual storage resources). Thenon-transitory electronic storage device 320 may store softwarealgorithms, information determined by processor 310, informationreceived from server 300, information received from client devices 600,information received from third parties, and/or other information thatenables server 300 to function as described herein.

In addition, implementations of the invention may be made in hardware,firmware, software, or any suitable combination thereof. Aspects of theinvention may also be implemented as instructions stored on amachine-readable medium, which may be read and executed by one or moreprocessors. A machine-readable medium may include any mechanism forstoring or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine(e.g., a computing device). For example, a tangible computer readablestorage medium may include read only memory, random access memory,magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memorydevices, and others, and a machine-readable transmission media mayinclude forms of propagated signals, such as carrier waves, infraredsignals, digital signals, and others. Further, firmware, software,routines, or instructions may be described herein in terms of specificexemplary aspects and implementations of the invention, and performingcertain actions. However, it will be apparent that such descriptions aremerely for convenience and that such actions in fact result fromcomputing devices, processors, controllers, or other devices executingthe firmware, software, routines, or instructions.

Embodiments and implementations described herein as including aparticular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every aspect orimplementation may not necessarily include the particular feature,structure, or characteristic. Further, when a particular feature,structure, or characteristic is described in connection with anembodiment or implementation, it will be understood that such feature,structure, or characteristic may be included in connection with otherembodiments or implementations, whether or not explicitly described.Thus, various changes and modifications may be made to the provideddescription without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.As such, the specification and drawings should be regarded as exemplaryonly, and the scope of the invention to be determined solely by theappended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method of producing anordered stack of at least first and second bound sheets comprising a setof printed product information sheets to be placed in a store, themethod being implemented in a computer system comprising one or morephysical processors and one or more printers, the method comprising:accessing, by the one or more physical processors, planogram informationfor a set of products for display in a store, wherein the planograminformation comprises information identifying the set of products fordisplay and information identifying a corresponding set of locations inthe store at which the respective set of products are to be displayed;apportioning, by the one or more physical processors, the set ofproducts to a set of product information sheets, wherein a first productinformation sheet is associated with at least a first product and asecond product information sheet is associated with at least a secondproduct; apportioning, by the one or more physical processors, the setof product information sheets to the set of bound sheets, wherein afirst bound sheet comprises the first product information sheet and thesecond product information sheet and a second bound sheet comprises athird product information sheet; printing, by the one or more printers,first information on a first product information sheet, the firstinformation comprising at least first product information about a firstproduct to be displayed in the store and a first order indicatorindicating a first order of the first product information sheet based ona planogram of the store, thereby producing a first printed productinformation sheet; and printing, by the one or more printers, secondinformation on a second product information sheet, the secondinformation comprising at least second product information about asecond product to be displayed in the store and a second order indicatorindicating a second order of the second product information sheet basedon the planogram of the store, thereby producing a second printedproduct information sheet, printing, by the one or more printers, thirdinformation on a third product information sheet, the second informationcomprising at least third product information about a third product tobe displayed in the store and a third order indicator indicating a thirdorder of the third product information sheet based on the planogram ofthe store, thereby producing a third printed product information sheet,ordering the first bound sheet and the second bound sheet according tothe first order indicator printed on the first printed productinformation sheet, the second order indicator printed on the secondprinted product information sheet, and the third order indicator printedon the third printed product information sheet, thereby producingordered first and second bound sheets, and binding the ordered first andsecond bound sheets to produce the ordered stack of at least the firstand second bound sheets.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein binding theordered first and second bound sheets comprises: binding the first boundsheet by adhesive to the second bound sheet, wherein the second boundsheet is adjacent to the first bound sheet in the ordered stack.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein binding the ordered first and second boundsheets comprises: binding the first bound sheet by a glue binding at anedge of the first bound sheet to the other bound sheets of the orderedstack.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein ordering the first bound sheetand the second bound sheet comprises: ordering the first bound sheet andthe second bound sheet based on a first location at which the firstbound sheet is to be placed according to the planogram of the store anda second location at which the second bound sheet is to be placedaccording to the planogram.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the firstbound sheet is adjacent to the bound sheet in the ordered stack, andwherein the third location is immediately adjacent the second locationin the planogram of the store.
 6. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: generating between the first printed production informationsheet and the second printed product information sheet on the firstbound sheet, a tearable edge by which the first printed productioninformation sheet and the second printed product information sheet maybe easily separated.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein printing firstproduct information on the first product information sheet comprisesprinting first product price label information, wherein the firstproduct price label information comprises a description of the firstproduct and a price of the first product.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein printing first product information on the first productinformation sheet comprises printing first retailer-specificinformation, wherein the first retailer-specific information comprisesone or more of: a promotion related to the first product or cross-sellinformation related to the first product.
 9. The method of claim 1,wherein printing the first information on the first product informationsheet comprises printing first planogram information, the firstplanogram information comprising one or more of: textual informationdescribing a first location at which the first printed productinformation sheet is to be placed in the store or a graphic depiction ofthe first location.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein printing thefirst information on the first product information sheet comprisesprinting fourth product information about a fourth product to bedisplayed in the store.